Partner Article

Tourism boost for Durham’s small towns

A COUNTY-WIDE tourism drive has been launched to help market and coastal towns benefit from Durham’s £656 million tourism industry, which supports 11,500 jobs in the region.

With government cuts threatening to destabilise the visitor economy in the region, tourism leaders in Durham yesterday announced details of a promotional drive to encourage visitors to explore more of the county in 2011 and beyond.

Four destination development plans for Chester-le-Street, Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland and Stanhope were unveiled to the tourism industry at The Emirates Durham International Cricket Ground by tourism agency Visit County Durham and Durham County Council.

Melanie Sensicle, chief executive of Visit County Durham, said: “Today is an important milestone for the tourism industry in Durham.

“At a time when visitor numbers to North East attractions are falling, and less money is available for tourism promotion, we are actively planning for growth and looking to extend the benefits of our multi-million pound visitor economy to market and coastal towns.”

Tourism in Durham is growing faster than in any other part of North East England according to economic impact figures released by regional development agency One North East in September.

The industry attracts 18million visitors to County Durham per year. In the past ten years, the industry has created 2,900 new full time jobs and grown at a rate of 37 per cent compared to a county average of nine per cent.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .